my fluffy story don't ask
by LeanneFryingPan
Summary: Gabby is jealous that Troy isn't paying attention to her. She thinks he's cheating on her w Sharpay. So she gets tangled in a giant web of lies, ending with a huge fight between Troy, Gabby, and Sharpay.


My Fluffy Story

Gabriella Montez sat down on a bench outside East High School and rolled up her sleeves (which were already short, so maybe that says something about the heat). She sighed loudly. Nobody looked at her. _Darn! _She thought. _Not good enough!_ She tried again. This time, it did get somebody's attention: a senior who appeared to be studying.

"Hey, quit it!" The senior complained. "I'm trying to study here!"

"Sorry!" Gabriella said. She knew what the girl was talking about. Just yesterday, Sharpay Evans had interrupted her by leaping across the quad and turning cartwheels.

"Oh, come on!" Sharpay had said when Gabriella had asked her to stop. "It's the last week of school. Have some fun, why don't you!"

For once, Gabriella actually understood what Sharpay was feeling. She sighed again, but not to get attention. But this time, it worked.

"Hey, Gabriella!" Gabriella's best friend, Taylor McKessie, looked up from her algebra book. "Didn't see you there."

"Nobody does," Gabriella replied.

"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked. "I pay attention to you. And let's not forget about Troy!" She giggled.

"Well..." Gabriella hesitated. Would Taylor really understand what she meant? It was worth a shot, at least. "Not exactly. I mean, you've got that huge algebra final eighth period tomorrow, and Troy, well, you know."

"He's busy." Taylor nodded knowingly. "Right?"

"No!" Gabriella said, then she paused. "Okay, yes. But I don't know why. All I know is that he's been hanging around with Sharpay a lot lately. Oh, but that doesn't mean I think- er, that, uh-"

"You think Troy's cheating with Sharpay?!" Taylor asked, astonished.

"No, I don't! And would it kill you to let me finish a sentence?"

"Listen, I don't have much experience with this, Gabriella," her friend said. "But if you want to get his attention, I think I have a pretty good idea for what to do."

"What?" Gabriella asked. Now, _this_ was what she wanted to hear!

"Tell him something important. Something like... Oh, I don't know. You'll think of something."

"Well, if you really think that would work..." Gabriella said dubiously.

"Of course it will!" Taylor said, "Now, go! Find Troy!"

"Okay!" Gabriella truly did believe that it would work now. "Thanks, Taylor!" She stood up and boldly walked inside the school.

Troy Bolton was practicing basketball in the gym with his Chad, Jason, Zeke, and the rest of the Wildcats. All of them were sweating like crazy.

"Man, Coach Bolton," Chad said, wiping off his forehead and shooting the ball in for a three-pointer. "Can't we have practice outside? It's, like, June!"

"_Like _June?" Coach Jack Bolton joked. "Is that different from plain old June?"

"Like June is cooler!" Chad informed him. "And it's got to be a million degrees in here!"

"Not exactly," a voice said.

All the basketball players looked around, wondering who had said that. Well, except for one.

"Gabriella?" Troy asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?" Turning to his friends, he said, "Guys, could you give me a minute?"

"Ooooh!" All the boys said.

"Of course," Chad said sarcastically. "How could we _ever_ even think of interrupting you and your girlfriend Gabriella-"

"CHAD!" Troy yelled.

"Oh, so that's how it's got to be?" Chad asked, pretending to be offended. "Come on, guys, let's go outside. Maybe it'll only be five thousand degrees out there." The team followed Chad and the coach out the door.

"So," Troy said to Gabriella. "What do you want? An autograph?"

"Funny," she said. "But no, not quite."

"So what do you need to tell me?"

"Uh, well..." Gabriella racked her brains, trying to think of what she's rehearsed on the way over there. She just got so nervous in front of Troy! "I, um, I... Just figured out that we broke the record high temperature ever in New Mexico!" _I am a complete idiot!_ She thought.

"That's great!" Troy said, faking excitement (and not doing a very good job of it).

"Urgh!" Gabriella cried. "I've got to go." She ran out of the gym.

"Record high temperature?" Taylor asked. "That's the best you could come up with?" She was pretty disappointed in Gabriella.

"I know!" Gabriella wailed. "I just blanked out. I can't help it!"

"You want some help?" Taylor suggested. Gabriella nodded weakly. "I'll go."

About ten minutes later, Taylor walked into the gym.

"Uh, guys?" Troy asked.

"We know!" Jason said, annoyed. "Let's go." The Wildcats trooped out of the gym again.

"What is it?" Troy said to Taylor. "More temperature news?"

"No," Taylor answered. _Wow, _she thought_. Gabriella really _did_ do a bad job! _"Gabriella was just nervous."

"About what?"

"Well, you know," Taylor said anxiously. Now it was her who was nervous! "Her summer vacation."

"What about it? She told me she was just visiting her Aunt Sally in North Dakota."

"But she's not!" Taylor told him. "She's traveling the world with me and some of our other friends."

"Cool!" Troy exclaimed. "Can I come?"

"Oh, um, no," she said.

"Why not?"

"Because... You need a grade point average of at least 85!"

"Oh," Troy was disappointed. He had been looking forward to spending the summer with his new girlfriend.

"So you won't be seeing her until the end of August," Taylor declared. She was gaining confidence quickly now. "Does that bother you?"

"Of course not," Troy immediately lied. "It's fine with me. I'm going to basketball camp anyway. Send me a postcard from France! I've always wanted to go there."

"Okay," Taylor said, wondering how the heck she was going to do that.

"Thanks!' He said. "You know what, I'll even come to the airport to watch you guys leave."

"No! You can't!" Taylor was running out of excuses. "We're not taking an airplane."

"Then how are you traveling?"

"Er..." _Come on!_ Taylor thought desperately. She shouted the first thing that popped into her head. "Hot-air balloons!"

"What?"

"Yes, hot-air balloons. We're balloon buddies!"

"I didn't know Gabriella liked hot-air balloons."

"Well, she does," Taylor told him. "Now that you've learned a secret about her, maybe there's something you need to tell her. Maybe concerning a certain someone named... Sharpay Evans?"

"What?" Troy suddenly seemed to get distracted. "Nope, I don't have any secrets about anyone by that name. In fact, I've never met anyone named Sharpay. What mom is crazy enough to name her kid after a dog? Oh, would you look at the time! See you!" And he left.

"Something is definitely going on between those two," Taylor said to herself.

One week later, Taylor and Gabriella were climbing into a red and purple hot-air balloon. "I can't believe you told him that!" Gabriella was in shock.

"It was all I could think of!" Taylor argued. "And at least I could speak!"

"True," Gabriella admitted, sitting down in the basket. "And it's not like we're actually traveling the world. All I have to do is avoid someone I'm totally in love with for twelve weeks. Piece of cake!"

"I know, I know," Taylor said. "I'm sorry! But we'd better leave soon."

"Okay, I'm ready," Gabriella said. "Let's go. One, two-"

"Gabriella!" Troy yelled over the engine, running over. "Wait, don't go!"

"Aww, it's just like a movie!" Taylor sighed. "It's so sweet."

"Why, Troy?" Gabriella asked. "Why can't I go?"

"Because- oh, it's hard for me to say."

"It's okay, Troy," Gabriella encouraged him. "You can tell me."

"Well... All right." Troy held out a white box.

"Oh, Troy!" Gabriella said. "You didn't have to! What is it?"

"Your mother made me bring it to you," Troy said. "She knows you get sick on long flights, so she gave me your airsick medicine."

"Thanks, Troy," Gabriella said, reluctantly taking the box and putting it in her pocket. "Well, bye!" And the balloon took off.

Two hours later, the girls were hiding out in Gabriella's room, giggling, eating ice cream, and watching cartoons.

"That wasn't so hard," Gabriella said.

"Which is why you cried all the way over here," Taylor said sarcastically.

"I'm scared of heights!" Gabriella protested.

"Sure you are," her friend said.

"Okay, okay, you're right. It was one of the hardest moments of my life! But it'll all be worth it."

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked, alarmed. "We can't talk to Troy until August 28th! You know that."

"Yeah, but I've got a little something up my sleeve."

"Come on, Gabriella," Taylor said. "Your sleeves are short enough as it is."

"Ha, ha. But seriously. I have an idea!"

"And that idea would be..."

"Let's just say that Troy won't be the only one there."

"Oh, no. I don't like sentences that start like that."

"Taylor!" Gabriella cried. "Are you going to spy with me or not?"

"Not."

"Taylor!"

"Okay, okay, you convinced me. We can spy on him. But don't go overboard!"

"When have I _ever_ gone overboard?"

"Well, on that cruise, when you were near the railing, and you slipped-"

"I didn't mean overboard like that, and you know it," Gabriella laughed.

"Yeah, I do." Taylor was laughing, too. "Let's go."

As it turns out, Taylor and Gabriella weren't the only ones who were plotting. Troy found that out later that day at lunch, when he ran into...

"Sharpay?!" Troy gasped.

"Troy?" Sharpay pretended to be surprised. "What on earth are _you _doing here?"

"Basketball camp!" Troy said. "But don't tell me _you're _into sports, too. You might break a nail-"

"Troy Bolton, you are hilarious," Sharpay giggled. "But no, I'm here for cheerleading camp."

"Cheerleading?" Troy asked. "You mean, like, three, five seven, nine, who wishes they had lunch at a different time?"

"Like that!" Sharpay said.

"Well, Sharpay, it was nice seeing you here," Troy lied. "But I have to eat now. And really, I _do _wish I had lunch at a different time." He picked up his tray and walked away.

Sharpay looked suspiciously at one of the workers behind the counter. "Don't I know you from someplace?"

"Hmm?" Gabriella asked. Yes, that's right, Gabriella and Taylor were undercover as cafeteria workers. "Oh, no, I don't think so."

"But I could have sworn- no, wait. I think I know!" Sharpay said, snapping her fingers. "I can't believe you didn't tell me right away!"

"I can explain, I promise!" Gabriella pleaded. "I'm sorry!"

"You're that lady who did my hair for my seventh-grade musical!" Sharpay remembered.

"Yes!" Gabriella exclaimed, grateful for Sharpay's stupidity. "Yes, that was me. It's been so long, Sharpay! Have you gotten that modeling contract yet?"

"Are you kidding?" Sharpay replied. "Not with the hairstyle _you _gave me! No wonder you're not working there anymore!" And with that, she turned up her nose and left.

"Boy," Taylor said. "She's even nasty to the people who help her!"

That Friday, Gabriella hit a snag in her plan. Frustrated that she hadn't found out anything important yet, she had stayed up until two in the morning the night before talking to Taylor and trying to come up with more ideas. That morning, she woke up with the phone still in her hand.

"Gabriella?" Her mother had said, peeking into her room. "I'm leaving for work now."

"Why so early, Mom?" Gabriella had asked.

"What are you talking about?" Mrs. Montez had said. "I always leave at this time."

"Huh? But that would mean that it's-" she had looked at the clock, and was shocked. "Nine-thirty! Oh, no, Mom, I overslept! I need to get dressed!" And with that, she had slammed the door, thrown on the first outfit she had found, and ran off to Taylor's house.

"Hi, Troy!" Sharpay shouted across the basketball court.

"Sharpay!" Troy groaned and missed the shot.

"Game over!" Chad shouted. "We win!"

"Thanks a lot!" Troy said to Sharpay. "What was so important that you couldn't wait four seconds?"

"I have bad news," Sharpay said. This was it. This was what she had been practicing for the last week. "I hate to tell you this, Troy, but I got a letter from Gabriella yesterday."

"How is that bad news?" Troy asked, confused.

"Well, it's more like what was in the letter that was so bad," Sharpay explained. "You see, Gabriella told me that she met a boy on her trip."

"Oh. What's his name?" Troy wanted to know.

This was something Sharpay hadn't planned on happening. And thinking fast was not exactly her specialty. "Uh, she didn't say."

"Well, what does Mr. No-Name have to do with anything?"

"That's the bad part," Sharpay sighed. "Troy, I'm so sorry, but she said he asked her out."

"But she wouldn't say yes!"

"Sorry, Troy, but she did." She placed her left hand on his shoulder. Normally he would protest, but he couldn't now. "I know. It hurts. But I'm here for you."

"How could she do that?" Troy yelled, throwing a basketball at a telephone pole. Sharpay ducked to avoid getting hit by the ball. "Sorry, Sharpay. But did Gabriella mention me at all?"

"Oh, she did. She wanted me to break up with you for her."

"She couldn't do it herself?"

"You see, Troy, that's why she doesn't deserve you," Sharpay said. Oh, yeah. He was totally eating right out of the palm of her hand. "But do you want to get back at her?"

"Well, of course, but-"

"Then I can tell you how!"

"Sharpay, I don't know, I mean-"

"Troy! I can help you!"

"Okay, fine, Let's hear what you've got, Sharpay."

"Well," Sharpay said, trying not to seem too excited. "If you really want her to pay, you have to make her jealous. And I mean _really _jealous."

"How do I do that?"

"You find a new girl!"

"Who?"

"Me!"

"Sharpay, I can't do that!" Troy exclaimed.

"Why not? You're single, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I-"

"Then why won't you?"

"You know what?" Troy decided. "You're right."

"Of course I am," Sharpay said dismissively. "So, what's your answer? Yes or no?"

"Yes!" Troy answered.

"Yes?" Sharpay was surprised. "I mean, yes, of course. So, now that I'm your girlfriend, isn't there anything you'd like to do?"

"Oh, right," Troy replied. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

It only lasted for about five seconds, but to Sharpay, it lasted for centuries. After all, this was the moment she had been waiting for since eighth grade, when she had overheard Troy ask out one of the cheerleaders. That was the whole reason she was at cheerleading camp, anyway! "Yes!" She whispered. These were the best five seconds of her life! And while it may have only been a few seconds, it also happened to be the few seconds when Ryan led Gabriella and Taylor over to the basketball court.

Gabriella saw everything. "What?!" She gasped.

Taylor knew what was coming. "Gabriella, don't cry!"

But Gabriella couldn't help it. She was heartbroken! And she had been right all along. "How am I not supposed to cry?"

Luckily, Taylor was prepared. It was impossible to know Gabriella and not expect her to burst out in tears every ten minutes. Taylor reached into her pocket and handed her friend a tissue.

"Thanks," Gabriella said, wiping her eyes, which had become red and puffy.

"Look, Gabriella, I know you're upset and all, but-"

Gabriella cut her off. "Upset? Ha! I'm going to go give him a piece of my mind!"

"I wouldn't do that." Ryan, who had known of his sister's plan all along, didn't exactly think that this was the greatest time for Gabriella to interrupt.

"Leave me alone, Ryan!" Gabriella stormed over to Troy.

Ryan stared at her. "Girl's got attitude!"

"She's out of control," Taylor told him.

Meanwhile, over by Troy and Sharpay, Gabriella was pretty angry. "How could you do that to me?" She screamed.

"Me? How could _you_ do that to _me_?" Troy demanded.

"Do what?" Gabriella asked, confused. "Did you find out that we made up the story about traveling the world?"

"No..." Troy said. "But I think this is probably a good time for you to tell me."

"I only did that because I thought you were going out with Sharpay!"

"What?!" Troy couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Gross! I don't like Sharpay!"

"Don't give me that," Gabriella said, irritated. "I just saw you kiss her!"

"It was her idea!"

"Like I care!"

Sharpay screamed at nobody in particular. How could this be happening? All these years of planning, and now Gabriella was blowing all her chances! "No!" She cried. "Troy, you don't like her, you like me! Remember? You just kissed me!"

"Sharpay, stay out of this!" Gabriella ordered.

"Yeah, this is all your fault, anyway," Troy said.

"Wait a minute," Gabriella realized. "It's _her_ fault! So why are we fighting with each other?"

"Hey, you've got a good point!" Troy agreed.

"No! No, she doesn't!" Sharpay was ready to tear out her own hair. But all those expensive hair products... "Troy! You don't honestly believe her, do you? She lied to you!"

"So did you," Troy pointed out.

"Yes, but I- uh, I- ARGH!" Sharpay turned and ran away. "Ryan, come on!"

"Coming," Ryan said, and reluctantly followed his twin.

"I'm sensing you two need a moment," Taylor said. "Let me see if I can go find Chad before Sharpay does." Taylor left.

"Okay, I know you're going to think I can't make up my mind, but Gabriella, can I kiss you?" Troy asked.

Gabriella laughed. "Not if you still have Sharpay's moisturizer on your lips!"

"So _that's _what that taste is!"

"You have _so_ much to learn, Troy," Gabriella said. And she stood on her tiptoes, and...

"Awwwww!" That was Taylor and Chad. Normally, Troy would have been embarrassed to have been seen by one of his basketball buddies while doing something this, well, un-macho. And Gabriella would have run away once she realized people were watching her. But for some reason, neither of them seemed to care.

"Troy's got a girlfriend!" Chad teased.

"Congratulations, Gabriella!" Taylor grinned.

Sharpay was sitting on a rock, trying to tear her hair out.

"Wait a second," Taylor said. "Chad, did Troy tell you anything about a secret involving Sharpay?"

"Yeah," Chad answered. "Actually, he did. He said that he found a picture of Sharpay with really short hair. Like, two inches. It was from fifth grade."

"Well, maybe it was from her trying to tear her hair out every day!"

"Could be! Right, Troy?" Chad waved his hand in front of his friend's face. "Troy? Buddy?"

"Gabriella?" Taylor was doing the same thing. "Oh, well. I'll call her tonight."

"Good luck with that," Chad said. Smiling. And the two walked off together, leaving Troy and Gabriella in a picture-perfect ending.

The End


End file.
